This invention relates to insect attractants for house flies (Musca domestica L. (Diptera:Muscidae)). More particularly this invention relates to compositions of matter containing C.sub.8 -t-alkanols and C.sub.5 -C.sub.11 -omega-alken-1-ols as attractants for Musca domestica L. (Diptera:Muscidae).
Fast intercontinental travel and trade are stepping up changes of importing nonindigenous inset pests into the United States. Attractants, or lures, can be of considerable aid in facilitating the early detection of such insect pests, and they are of vital importance in measuring the progress of a program aimed at eradicating a species that has become established.
In Agriculture Handbook No. 239 published by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued in June 1963 entitled, "Materials Tested As Insect Attractants", complied by M. Beroza and N. Green, n-Dodecanol is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Melon Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Mexican Fly only slightly ("1" on a scale of 1 to 3). Decanol-1 having the structure: ##STR1## is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3; the Melon Fly at a level of 37 2" on a scale of 1 to 3; the Mediterranean Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3; and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3.
3-Ethyl-3-heptanal having the structure: ##STR2## (Item No. 2826 of Beroza, et al.) is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Melon Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, the Mexican Fruit Fly and the Gypsy Moth only slightly ("1" on a scale of 1 to 3).
3,5-Dimethyl-3-hexanol having the structure; ##STR3## (Item No. 2843 of Beroza, et al.) is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Melon Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, the Mexican Fruit Fly and the Gypsy Moth at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3.
2-Methyl-2-octanol (Item No. 2886 of Beroza, et al.) is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of 37 1" on a scale of 1 to 3.
The structure of 2-methyl-2-octanol is: ##STR4##
3-Methyl-3-octanol having the structure: ##STR5## (Item No. 2889 of Beroza, et al.) is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3 and is indicated to attract the Mediterranean Fruit Fly at a level of 37 2" on a scale of 1 to 3.
2,4,4-Trimethyl-2-pentanol (Item No. 2912 of Beroza, et al.) is indicated to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3. ##STR6##
3-Ethyl-3-pentanol (Item No. 2414 of Beroza, et al.) having the structure: ##STR7## is indicated by Beroza, et al to attract the Oriental Fruit Fly, the Melon Fly, the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Mexican Fruit Fly at a level of "1" on a scale of 1 to 3.
Unsaturated alcohols are known with respect to controlling insects; and have been found to attract such insects. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,422 issued on May 1, 1979 sets forth 6-nonen-1-ol in a composition of matter used as an attractant for the male Mediterranean Fruit Fly. Chem. Abstracts Volume 103, No. 71086p concerns the synthesis of (Z)-8-dodecen-1-ol and its acetate as pheromone components of the Oriental Fruit Moth (Grapholita molesta). This is an abstract of the article in Acta Chem. Scan. Ser. B., 1985, B39(4), pages 267-72.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,254,665 issued on Sept. 2, 1941, discloses the use of aliphatic alcohols in general in repelling insects which aliphatic alcohols have from 10 to 14 carbon atoms. Examples of the aliphatic alcohols of U.S. Pat. No. 2,254,665 are all saturated, to wit:
dodecyl alcohol; PA1 octyl alcohol; PA1 hexadecyl alcohol; PA1 tetradecyl alcohol; and PA1 undecyl alcohol. PA1 (ii) The Mediterranean Fruit; PA1 (iii) The Mexican Fruit Fly; and PA1 (iv) The Gypsy Moth.
In "Materials Tested as Insect Attractants" compiled by M. Beroza and N. Green in Agriculture Handbook No. 239 in Table 2 it is stated that 3-methyl-1-nonen-3-ol has, on a scale of 1 to 3, an attractancy of "1" for the Oriental Fruit Fly and an attractancy of "1" for the Mediterrean Fruit Fly and 4,8-dimethyl-7-nonen-4-ol has on a scale of 1 to 3 an attractancy of 37 2" for the Oriental Fruit Fly and an attractancy of "3" for the Mediterrean Fruit Fly and an attractancy of "1" for the Mexican Fruit Fly and an attractancy of "1" for Drosophila.
Beroza, et al. also states that 3-buten-1-ol having the structure: ##STR8## (Item No. 2762) has an attractancy of "1" for the Oriental Fruit Fly; an attractancy of "2" for the Melon Fly; an attractancy "1" for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly; an attractancy of "1" for the Mexican Fruit Fly; and an attractancy of "1" for the Gypsy Moth.
Beroza, et al. indicates for 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol having the structure: ##STR9## (Item No. 2941) an attractancy of "1" (on a scale 1 to 3) for: (i) The Oriental Fruit Fly;
Beroza, et al. indicates under Item No. 2965 for 10-undecen-1-ol having the structure: ##STR10## (a compound of our invention) an attractancy of "1" for only the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (on a scale of 1 to 3).
Nothing in the prior art discloses the uses of C.sub.8 -t-alkanols and C.sub.5 -C.sub.11 -omega-alken-1-ols for the attractancy of Musca domestica L. (Diptera:Muscidae) ("house flies").
Various prior art techniques for studying feeding habits of insects have been found useful in formulating processes and apparatus for determining relative attractancy and repellency for insects. Thus, the paper "Laboratory Blood Feeding of Culicoides Mississippiensis (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae) Through A Reinforced Silicone Membrane" by Davis, Butler, Roberts, Reinert and Kline (J. Med. Enotomol. Vol. 20, No. 2:177-182) discloses the preparation and use of a durable silicone membrane for feeding Culicoides Mississippiensis in the laboratory. Further, the paper entitled "IN VITRO Feeding of Ornithodoros Ticks For Rearing And Assessment of Disease Transmission", Butler, Hess, Endris and Holscher, ACAROLOGY VI, vol. 2, published 1984 by Ellis Horwood Limited, Market Cross House, Cooper St., Chichester, West Sussex, PO 19 1EB, England discloses the advantages of feeding of haematophagous arthropods through artificial membranes. A number of preferred embodiments of our invention includes the use of the teachings of the aforementioned papers. Accordingly, the aforementioned papers are incorporated herein by reference.